Hamas is a terrorist organization. Those who aid and abet terrorism are likewise terrorists.

Hamas is as terrorist as anyone defending their group with violence. Like any army, or any other mercenary, paid to kill on orders, fights for thei people.

Branding them terrorists is a convenient way to dismiss and ignore what they stand for, just like calling them anti-Semitic or whatever meaningless epithet one has in store to feel selfrighteous.

HAMAS is a terrorist group because they go deliberately seeking unarmed noncombatants to murder. That is not what the IDF or any army, even mercenaries, does. HAMAS are a terrorist group because their kiddy TV shows teach 'Jews are the enemy' and 'we have to kill the Jews'. Israeli TV presents Israel as a land of Jews, Christians and Muslims from many lands living in one country as neighbors and friends.

Which vision is more conducive to peace and well-being? NOT HAMAS', I think.

OK, so what other word do you think should be used for "continually endeavoring to present negatives as connected to 'Jews/Judaism/Zionism - including those which have no discernible veracity except among Jew-hating bigots like the Holocaust denier camp"?

Please explain also what words of mine have convinced you that I desire 'to feel selfrighteous'? I'm not responsible for your imagination.

Hamas would not be in the territories had it not been for Israel, Israel released Muslim brotherhood members into the Palestinian territories (when they were banned by the Egyptian government) and even funded Hamas during the 1980s.

Israel basically wanted Hamas to divide the Palestinian people as the Secular PLO was rallying support from Europe and North America.

Yes Hamas is a vile terrorist organization but it's growth was nurtured by Israel.

Let's condemn Hamas and Israel. Israel persistent State terrorism to this day is creating more healthy recruits for Hamas.

Ksai, you appear to think HAMAS is inert, like a rock that, once thrown, can only move along the initial trajectory....

How HAMAS got its start is much less relevant to the current situation than what its so-violent 'leaders' have been planning in recent years. Their 'guidance' and assuredly their funding owes much more to Iran than Israel.

And your noise about 'Israel state terrorism' would possibly be worth listening to were it not drowned out by the flood of 'agitprop' aimed at inciting Jew-killing hate coming from the State-owned press/radio/TV of virtually every nation in the ME. Not to mention the funding for HAMAS and Hezbullah - and of course their having illegally stolen land & property from their Jewish communities before summarily expelling them....

Hamas would not be in the territories had it not been for Israel, Israel released Muslim brotherhood members into the Palestinian territories (when they were banned by the Egyptian government) and even funded Hamas during the 1980s.

Israel basically wanted Hamas to divide the Palestinian people as the Secular PLO was rallying support from Europe and North America.

Yes Hamas is a vile terrorist organization but it's growth was nurtured by Israel.

Let's condemn Hamas and Israel. Israel persistent State terrorism to this day is creating more healthy recruits for Hamas.

How HAMAS got its start is much less relevant to the current situation than what its so-violent 'leaders' have been planning in recent years. Their 'guidance' and assuredly their funding owes much more to Iran than Israel.

Leah, this is the best example of avoid the blame game when Pro-Israelis are concerned.

Hamas as an extension of the Muslim Brotherhood, a Pan-Islamist party that has always been violent and Israel knew this when they released and funded them into the territories.

Now saying that Syria or Iran funds and nurtures their growth doesn't throw them off the hook of responsibility akin to the United States funding the mujahideen and Al Quaeda.